Vienna and Dunn Loring Metro Stations Will Get New Escalators — Metro awarded a $179 million, seven-year contract to replace 130 escalators at 32 stations, including two at the Dunn Loring-Merrifield station and three at the Vienna station. Work on the project will start in May and will require the demolition and removal of the existing escalators. [WMATA]

Fairfax County High School Football Season Starts Monday — Fairfax County Public Schools will allow some fans when the football season kicks off on Feb. 22. Players will be required to wear masks, but locker rooms will be off limits, among other COVID-19 safety protocols. [ABC7-WJLA]

Fairfax County Introduces Outdoor Document Drop Boxes — “Fairfax County Department of Family Services now has outdoor drop boxes to turn in documents for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF or other programs anytime, 24/7. Search Fairfax County Goverment, outdoor drop box to see a list of locations.” [@SupvPalchik/Twitter]

Virginia Seeks Public Input on History and Social Studies Education Standards — “Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) staff members are encouraging the community to provide comments to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) for its review and revision of the History and Social Science Standards of Learning, scheduled to be completed before November 2022.” [FCPS]

Tysons Wellness Center Was Ahead of the Teletherapy Curve — “[Derek] Russell, a licensed professional counselor and neurotherapist, opened Mindstate as a mental health and cognitive peak performance center at 1980 Gallows Road in Tysons. In just over a year, Mindstate has grown from a one-man business with neurotherapy and counseling services, to a center also staffed with another therapist and health coaches.” [McLean Patch]

Northern Virginia Home Sales Were Up in January — Sales were up 29% compared to January 2020, with competition particularly intense for single-family houses. The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors says there is more of a supply for condos, especially high-rise and luxury units in places like Tysons, possibly due to a wariness of shared amenities and close contact with neighbors. [WTOP]

Dr. Dana Lipsky has witnessed “pandemic fatigue” firsthand.

Lipsky has plenty of experience helping people navigate anxiety, depression, and other conditions as the owner and clinical director of Metropolitan Psychological Services PLLC (MPS), a mental health care practice that she started in Arlington in 2014.

However, she says there has been a noticeable uptick in clients struggling with anxiety in particular since COVID-19 upended daily life in Northern Virginia last March.

“Since the pandemic, it’s been more focused on what’s the world like: My everyday life has been disrupted. How do I make those adjustments and live in a world of uncertainty?” Lipsky said. “So, we’ve been working a lot with just kind of accepting the reality and learning how to adapt given the situation that we’re in.”

MPS had contemplated expanding to serve more people for a while, but the search for a second location got underway in earnest in early 2020, as the pandemic triggered fears of a widespread mental health crisis.

According to Lipsky, MPS settled on The Boro in Tysons for its proximity to major roads like I-66 and I-495 and to the Spring Hill Metro station. The neighborhood also stood out for its mix of residential and commercial properties, allowing the company to offer its services to businesses and workers as well as residents.

MPS officially announced the opening of its Tysons practice at 8401 Greensboro Dr. last week and has been providing services there since August, though the physical office has not been utilized yet, with the pandemic limiting nearly all clients to virtual sessions.

When the office does open, it will be staffed with four or five clinicians with different areas of expertise, from children and teen specialists to adult and couples’ therapists, Lipsky says.

“Our Arlington location primarily services teens and up, with the bulk of the population that we see probably ages 25 through 40,” Lipsky said. “…We really opened the Tysons Corner office with reaching out to more folks in mind, so this office is designed to really focus on treating the whole lifespan.”

Once the pandemic is under control, Lipsky also hopes to take advantage of the Tysons office’s central location to turn it into a base for educational and outreach efforts to aimed at combatting the stigma around getting therapy and other mental health care services.

MPS clinicians use various treatment and counseling methods to address issues ranging from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder to relationship difficulties and life transitions, but the overall goal is not to “fix” people. Rather, Lipsky says therapy is about giving people tools to better handle the challenges they encounter.

“Life doesn’t need to be so difficult, and learning ways to mitigate that distress is really important,” Lipsky said. “That helps you achieve a better form of wellness for yourself by increasing that positivity and hopefully finding more fulfillment in your life.”

Photo via Google Maps

When Valentine’s Day arrives this Sunday, it will also usher in the Town of Vienna’s first-ever restaurant week.

Coming on the heels of the annual Metropolitan Washington Winter Restaurant Week, the inaugural Vienna VA Restaurant Week will be smaller in scale than that regional initiative, with 10 restaurants and eateries offering special Restaurant Week deals from Feb. 14-21.

While only a handful of venues are officially participating, the Town of Vienna will use the campaign to boost all of its restaurants and generally encourage the community to support local businesses, especially small, independent establishments.

“We know that throughout the winter months, it’s extremely difficult for restaurants,” Vienna Economic Development Manager Natalie Monkou said. “…It just seemed like a good fit to utilize Valentine’s Day as the kick-off, which is a love holiday, and to remind people that love their town and love their business community to support them.”

Here are the businesses that are participating in the Vienna VA Restaurant Week:

• Bazins on Church (111 Church St. NW)
• Caboose Tavern (520 Mill St. NE)
• Cafe Renaissance (163 Glyndon St. SE)
• Clarity (442 Maple Ave. E)
• Crepes & Karak Cafe (280 Cedar Lane)
• Maple Ave Restaurant (147 Maple Ave. W)
• Union Pie at Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E)
• Vienna Inn (120 Maple Ave. E)
• Viet Aroma (165 Glyndon St. SE)
• Zenola (132 Branch Rd. SE)

Details on what each restaurant or eatery is offering can be found through the official Vienna VA Restaurant Week website, which also highlights other food and beverage venues in town and encourages patrons to share their meals on social media with the hashtag #loveviennava.

Restaurant Week is the Town of Vienna’s latest effort to support local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to backing the Caboose Brewing Company’s Bundle Up campaign, the town organized a “Shop and Stroll” series in the fall to draw visitors to local shopping centers, and the Vienna Business Association put together a holiday guide in December for businesses to share their promotions.

Monkou says businesses in the Town of Vienna also collectively received at least $2.7 million in COVID-19 relief funds through Fairfax County’s RISE grant program, which ultimately issued $52.6 million to more than 4,800 businesses and nonprofits in the county.

While Vienna is putting a spotlight on the food service industry with Restaurant Week, the economic development office will follow this initiative with a broader marketing campaign about supporting local businesses that includes other sectors, from retail to dry cleaners and nail salons, according to Monkou.

“Small businesses, they’re truly vital to your local economy, and they bring a lot of vibrancy to your neighborhood and your community,” Monkou said. “I can’t imagine the Town of Vienna without them, especially our independent, local retailers.”

Image via Explore Vienna VA/Twitter

The Marriott TownePlace Suites Falls Church hotel is under new management as Sonesta Simply Suites Falls Church (205 Hillwood Ave).

The pandemic has hit Fairfax County’s hospitality industry hard, resulting in a huge loss in revenue and widespread lay-offs. But one hotel brand called Sonesta International Hotels has steadily been acquiring hotels during unprecedented drops in travel.

Sonesta acquired the TownePlace Suites in Falls Church and 97 other hotels affiliated with Marriott in October because the hotelier had fallen behind on payments, according to the properties’ owner, Service Properties Trust (SVC).

A Massachusetts-based real estate investment company, SVC says it ended its 26-year relationship with Marriott last fall after attempting and failing to collect $11 million in missed payments from the hotel chain. SVC owns a 34% share of Sonesta.

“We believe that the rebranding of these hotels with Sonesta will benefit SVC as an owner of Sonesta, create greater flexibility in managing these hotels through these challenging market conditions and have a positive impact on this portfolio’s performance in the future,” SVC President and CEO John Murray said in a statement last fall.

The international hotel chain lost 122 hotels, which had collectively generated only $2.6 million in eight months, the press release said.

Sonesta took over the management of 98 of the 122 hotels. The remaining 24 hotels were sold for more than $150 million.

“This is a momentous time for the company, underscoring the continued growth and amplifying the long-term success of Sonesta and its branded hotels,” Sonesta says on its website.

Sonesta has experienced 350% growth in less than six months, and will soon have 300 operating properties across seven brands operating in North and South America, Egypt, and St. Maarten, according to a press release from Sonesta.

The D.C. area saw hotel occupancy rates drop below 50% last year, Visit Fairfax President and CEO Barry Biggar previously told Tysons Reporter. Fairfax County saw $9.1 million in hotel revenue in May 2020, compared to $70 million in May 2018, and that figure did not include related services, such as catering.

Sonesta’s growth comes amid early signs of recovery in the hard-hit hotel industry, including a sudden spike in occupancy rates ahead of the Inauguration last month. Still, travel is not projected to bounce back fully until 2024.

CVS COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Already Fully Booked — CVS is not scheduled to start appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine in Virginia until Friday (Feb. 12), but the available slots were quickly filled up after the registration system opened to state residents on Tuesday (Feb. 9). Only one CVS store in Fairfax County will receive doses in the initial rollout of the pharmacy’s partnership with the federal government. The Fairfax County Health Department says anyone who gets vaccinated by CVS or another provider should email the department to be taken off the county’s waitlist. [Inside NoVA, Fairfax County Health Department]

Virginia General Assembly Heads into Special Session — “Though the Virginia General Assembly technically adjourned on Monday with Republican members wanting to limit work to 30 days, Gov. Ralph Northam ordered a special session saying more time was needed to advance the state’s budget and pandemic relief efforts.” [WTOP]

McLean Eagle Scout Leads Blanket Drive — “For an Eagle Scout project, Eli Witkiewicz enlisted fellow members of Troop 1130 in McLean and their family members to make fleece blankets for Project Linus, a non-profit organization that provides handmade blankets to children in need.” [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]

McLean-Based ID.me Partners with Fellow Identity Services Provider — “ID.me, a federally certified identity verification platform, and Sterling, a leading provider of identity and background services, today [Tuesday] announced the launch of an exclusive partnership that brings a powerful new identity service offering to the employment and screening space.” [ID.me]

Staff Photo by Jay Westcott

A number of restaurants and shops in the Tysons area are offering specials this weekend leading up to Valentine’s Day on Sunday.

From sweet treats to savory meals, here are some options for celebrating the holiday:

• Andy’s Pizza in Tysons Galleria has a Valentine’s Day Love Package from Friday through Sunday. The package includes a choice of any signature pizzas that are also offered by the slice, a bottle of wine and a tiramisu for dessert. The wine options are a sparkling brut, merlot or sauvignon blanc. The package is $38. Andy’s Pizza is also offering an anti-Valentine’s Day package for $38 that includes a choice of any signature pizza, an order of Old Bay fries, and a four-pack of Radeberger tall boy pilsners.
• Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar at Tysons Corner is offering a variety of specials to mark the holiday. From Friday through Monday, a Valentine’s Day three-course prime surf and turf menu is available for $225. Starting at $60 per guest, a three-course family menu is also available for curbside pickup or delivery and will feature individual entrees paired with family-style salad, sides, and desserts.
• Wildfire McLean in Tysons Galleria will offer its dinner menu all day for dine-in, carryout, and delivery. A Valentine’s menu for two will be available for dine-in and carryout from Friday through Sunday. With a price tag of $120, plus tax, per couple, the Valentine’s menu will include shrimp cocktail, Wildfire chopped salad, and a selection of main courses, sides, and desserts.
• Founding Farmers in Tysons and Reston is offering a Valentine’s Day and Weekend at Home package, along with a variety of Valentine’s Day specials that can be picked up Saturday or Sunday. Valentine’s Day orders must be placed by 11 a.m. Friday (Feb. 12). Options include a heat-and-eat dinner for two, Valentine’s bottled cocktails, heat-and-eat breakfast, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and more.
• Urban Plates at Tysons Galleria is offering a Valentine’s Day at-home, three-course dinner for two for $49. The dinner includes a choice of two starters, two entrées with grilled artisan bread, and two desserts. The holiday menu is available for takeout only from Friday through Sunday but must be preordered by Thursday (Feb. 11).
• In addition to its regular menu, Vienna’s Blend 111 will have a special “Día de San Valentín” menu for indoor and outdoor dining on Friday and Saturday. Sunday dining will be limited to the special menu, with a limited number of reservations available. A special carryout menu for Sunday can be preordered until 5 p.m. on Thursday or the restaurant sells out. Pick-up for carryout dinners will be from 5-8 p.m. on Sunday.
• If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, Lolli & Pops in the Tysons Corner Center is offering a variety of Valentine’s Day gift boxes featuring various candies and chocolate confections.
• Cocoa Vienna has a variety of Valentine’s Day gift boxes, chocolate confections and personalized gift baskets available.

Additional ideas for chocolate fans can be found through Visit Fairfax’s “Chocolate Safari” campaign, which lets restaurants from around the county advertise their chocolate-based menu items.

“All of our communities are made better by the hard work and passion that drives local small businesses,” Visit Fairfax President and CEO Barry Biggar said. “The people behind these businesses…continually work to bring joy and happiness to our lives day after day, even through a worldwide pandemic. If there’s ever a time to share the love back with them, Valentine’s Day is an exceptional reason to start!”

Photo courtesy Andy’s Pizza

Pop-Up Florist Coming to Mosaic District — The clothing retailer Anthropologie (2910 District Ave., Suite 100) is hosting a Valentine’s Day pop-up with the florist Studio Fleuraison from 12-4 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 13). Purchases can be made in the store or as pre-orders. [Mosaic District/Twitter]

Fairfax County School Board Approves CIP — The Fiscal Year 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Program includes construction of a Dunn Loring Elementary School, partial funding for a Silver Line Elementary School, the James Madison High School addition, and renovations for four schools in the Tysons area. The school board approved the package when it met on Thursday (Feb. 4). [FCPS]

Sunrise Senior Living Names New CEO — “Sunrise Senior Living, the McLean company that operates more than 330 senior living facilities, has named Jack Callison Jr. its new CEO. Callison replaces Chris Winkle, who said in December he would step down after more than six years in the role.” [Washington Business Journal]

Fairfax Health District Hiring for Pandemic Response — The Fairfax County Health Department is looking to hire 100 individuals to support its COVID-19 vaccination and pandemic response efforts. Open positions include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses that would join the vaccination team on a part-time, temporary basis. [Fairfax County Health Department]

Fairfax County Public School Trains Teachers for Concurrent Learning — Teachers at Holmes Middle School are learning how to use technology that will enable them to work with in-person and online students at the same time. The training is preparing them for about half of the school’s students to return for in-person instruction on Feb. 16. [ABC7-WJLA]

Photo via Beyond DC/Flickr

Fairfax Connector Reminds Passengers To Wear Face Masks — “Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) officials would like to remind Fairfax Connector passengers that they must wear a mask or a face covering, as now federally mandated, when taking public transit or visiting a transit hub in Fairfax County. This safety measure, which has been in place on board Fairfax Connector buses since May 2020, aims to protect passengers and bus operators during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.” [Fairfax Connector]

Fairfax County Public Schools to Hold Virtual Job Fair — FCPS is “searching for educators with a strong academic background and a passion to make a difference in the lives of students. To open the 2021-22 school year hiring season, FCPS will host a virtual Instructional Job Fair on Saturday, February 20, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.” [FCPS]

Sens. Kaine and Warner Raise Concerns About Continued Mail Delays — “From Dec. 19 to 31, according to statistics in the [court] filings that the Senators cited in their letter, Northern Virginia residents received less than half of their first class mail on-time. While the holiday crush is surely to be a contributing factor, rates started dropping in mid-September.” [ARLNow]

Virginia Pauses E-Z Pass Deactivations During Pandemic — For the next six months, Virginia is suspending its policy of deactivating E-Z Pass accounts if they go unused for a year, since fewer people are traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of users who got a notice that their account would be deactivated last year nearly doubled from 2019. [The Virginian-Pilot]

The Boro Partners with Red Cross for Blood Drive — “#TheBoroTysons is partnering with @americanredcro5 to host another blood drive on March 4th from 9am-3pm in Boro Station (1775 Greensboro Station Place). Donors will receive free antibody testing. Help save a life and reserve your spot!” [@TheBoroTysons/Twitter]

McLean Contractor Buys Fairfax Firm — “McLean-based tech contractor IntelliBridge Inc. announced Monday it has acquired Fairfax-based tech company Alethix LLC. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the acquisition will add DevSecOps and cloud services to IntelliBridge (which is backed by Enlightenment Capital), and also expand its clientele to include homeland security, federal-civilian and defense agencies.” [Virginia Business]

Staff Photo by Jay Westcott

Winter Weather Advisory Extended to 1 P.M. — The National Weather Service has extended its winter weather advisory for the D.C. area, including Fairfax County, to 1 p.m. today due to “lingering snow bands.” There could be up to two inches of snow accumulation, and slippery roads could make the morning commute hazardous. [NWS]

Metro to Change Lost-and-Found Policy, Citing Budget Constraints — “Beginning March 1, Metro’s lost and found department will work to reunite customers with lost wallets and electronics (such as phones, tablets, and laptops) only. All other items lost in the system will be disposed of, donated to charity, destroyed, or auctioned.” [WMATA]

Mosaic District Partners with Virginia Plunge Again — The Polar Plunge Festival is the signature annual fundraiser for Special Olympics Virginia. In past years, the Mosaic District has hosted the Plunge, but due to the pandemic, the usual in-person event has been replaced by a week of festivities, culminating in a virtual ceremony on Saturday (Feb. 6). Registration is now open. [Mosaic District/Twitter, Polar Plunge]

Tysons-Based Media Company Buys Sports Podcast Network — “Tegna wants a bigger piece of the podcast action: The TV station group announced the acquisition of Locked On Podcast Network, which produces some 160 daily shows for teams across the U.S.’s four major pro sports leagues and more than 30 colleges.” [Variety]

Justice High School Graduate Drafted by Washington Spirit — “When the Washington Spirit returns to the field this spring, local fans may spot a familiar face at forward–Falls Church native Anna Heilferty. After graduating from Boston University this winter, Heilferty was selected 19th overall by the Spirit in the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League Draft.” [Washingtonian]

Fairfax County Extends Deadline for Real Estate and Vehicle Tax Relief — Seniors over the age of 65, people with permanent disabilities, and renters may be eligible for tax relief. Applicants must file between Jan. 1, 2021 and May 3, 2021, though exceptions may be available if a late filing is due to a hardship which prevented the application from being filed on time. [Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Office]

New Pedestrian Trail at McLean Metro Station Now Open — “The trail starts on Magarity Road, near Westgate Elementary School and the Pimmitt Hills neighborhoods, running through Scott’s Run Stream Valley Park and Westgate Park toward the Metro station. Robin Geiger, a spokesperson for Fairfax County, said the county started construction on the $4.5 million trail in July 2019 and finished this last December.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Chief Medical and Technology Officer for Tysons Nonprofit Discusses COVID-19 Response — “MITRE helped form the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition, a private-sector led response that brings together healthcare organizations, technology firms, nonprofits, academia, and startups to preserve the healthcare delivery system and help protect U.S. populations.” [Fairfax County Economic Development Authority]

Falls Church Theater Company Offers Scholarships — “Providence Players of Fairfax (PPF) is offering up to (3) $1,500 scholarship opportunities to college-bound, graduating seniors. Application requirements & details are published on the PPF website under About Us- Community Outreach. The application deadline is April 30, 2021.” [Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik/Twitter]